They Gossip Because They Care
by JMolover13
Summary: Regina and Emma go on their first public date at the diner. Ruby and everyone else are very invested when they realize what is happening.


"Regina come on!" Emma stamped her foot and crossed her arms, showing her true **_im_**maturity. She was standing across from Regina's desk, having refused to have taken a seat.

"No, _Emma_ I will not 'come on'…" She gestured to the door behind her, telling the blonde to make sure it's locked, which Emma did before stomping back over to stand in front of the desk. "Do you have any idea of what you're asking?"

"Yes. I'm asking my lady friend to go out on a date with me—" She gasped loudly, overacting intentionally and startling the brunette, "Man in the sky forbid! A person wanting to go out with their significant other! What had the world come to!?"

Regina jutted her jaw to the side, "Emma…"

"Regina…" Emma pouted, "When have I ever asked you for anything?" Regina cocked a brow up and Emma slumped forward, "Minus the wanting to be apart of Henry's life, minus the wanting your respect, minus the wanting to know you, minus the wanting you, minus the want of a relationship, minus all of that… when have I ever asked you for anything?"

The brunette smirked, "Well last night you asked—"

"And minus the dirty stuff we do in bed." Emma gave her a look.

Regina folded her hands atop the desk, "Well, minus all of that… I guess we're complete strangers. Because you would have asked nothing from me."

"Exactly." Emma knit her brows, "You've asked me to do stuff…"

"Have I?" Regina cocked her head to the side.

"Yes."

"Like...?"

"Like all that other dirty stuff we do in bed… and you asked me to plant roots—"

"I didn't ask you to do that." The brunette put her hands flat on the desk.

"Yes huh!" Emma didn't wait for her to argue, "You ask me to come over to your place. You ask me to comfort you every so often. You ask me to hold you every night. You asked me to move in that one time—"

"I never asked any such thing!"

"Yes you did."

"In fact," Regina stood and round the front of the desk before leaning against it, "I never asked any of the things you listed."

Emma walked up to Regina, "But you have…" The blonde wrapped her arms around her lady friend's waist, "You ask me with those deep brown need you eyes."

"I never asked you to move in." Regina leaned into Emma and held her waist tight.

"Yes you did…" Emma kissed the crown of her head.

"But we pretend it didn't happen." She refused to look at the blonde.

"If you go out on this date with me, then maybe we can pretend it did." This got Regina's attention.

They looked into each other's eyes and finally the brunette relented, "Alright. But nowhere fancy… the diner will be fine."

Emma smiled wide, "I love how simple you are." Regina raised a perfectly plucked brow, "I mean… don't get me wrong, you're the most complicated woman on the planet… but you're so simple when it comes to this…" She leaned in and kissed Regina's lips even though she refused to kiss back, "Come on… you just told me that you wanted to go to the diner… It's simple…" Regina only kept her stare on the blonde, "It's perfect though… kind of like those deep brown need you eyes I love so much." She kissed her again and this time, Regina kissed her back, but only for a split second, "I'll pick you up at seven… we can walk. That way you don't have to ride in my bug."

Regina only smiled with her eyes and nodded, "Don't be late."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Henry answered the door when Emma arrived, "She really said 'yes?'" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, kid… she really said 'yes'." Emma laughed.

"Awesome." He said before he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, "Hi mom… Emma's here."

Regina smirked at her son's grin, "Thank you Henry…" She turned to Emma, "Let's get this over with." She said as she took Emma's hand and proceeded to wrap it around her waist. She turned back to her son, "We'll be gone for two hours. What can you do in that time?"

"I can stay inside, finish up homework and watch a movie?" He asked with a cheesy, pleading grin.

Regina opened her mouth to say 'no', but the squeeze on her ass made her think twice, "Alright… We'll be back soon." She leaned in and kissed his hair.

Emma followed suit, "See ya later, kid."

"Bye!" Henry waved and watched them walk down the path to the sidewalk before he shut the door.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Once they neared the diner, Regina pulled Emma's hand from her waist and dropped her hand as well.

"Oh no you don't." Emma grinned as she wrapped both arms around Regina and walked behind her, "Did I tell you how pretty you look tonight?" She whispered in her ear.

"Pretty?" Regina snorted.

"What would you prefer? 'Beautiful', 'gorgeous', 'sexy'?"

"Yes." Regina smiled.

"Darlin', you are all of the above and you know it." Emma kissed her cheek then stepped to her side once more, lacing their fingers together, "Ready?" She asked as she reached for the door handle.

"Ready." Regina nodded and walked in first, tightening her grip on Emma's hand.

They stood there a moment, looking around for a vacant table, but there was none… so to the bar they went.

"Damn, who knew everyone and their mom would be here tonight?" Emma asked as they sat down.

Ruby walked over to Emma and Regina, "Hello ladies." She smiled, "What are you two working on now?"

Emma knit her brows, "What?"

Ruby looked up as she set napkins down for drinks, "Well, you two are here together, so I assume there must be a project of some kind…"

"Nope." Emma shook her head.

"Although, we could talk about the Miner's Day festival…" Regina turned to Emma.

Emma glanced at her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye then stared at Ruby, "No project we're working on, Rubes." She then 'subtly' took their linked hands from her lap and put them on the counter.

Ruby looked down at their linked hands, her eyes bugging, "Oh my God!"

Regina closed her eyes, wanting to be anywhere but there, but her girlfriend, she knew was only grinned, "What Rubes?"

"What? Oh my God I… forgot the… thing in the back. No worries, I get it later… What can I get you to drink?"

"Water." Regina refused to look at the waitress.

Emma smirked, "Strawberry soda, please and thank you."

Ruby nodded and got their drinks for them, staring at their hands the whole time. Emma and Regina both knew this was happening, and somehow, Regina let Emma bring their hands to her mouth and kiss the back of her, Regina's hand.

Emma turned to the waitress and knit her brows as she leaned forward, "Woah, hey! Ruby! I think that's all that cup can handle…" Ruby looked down to see the cup over flowing with strawberry soda and most of it going down the drain.

"Right." She nodded and took the cup from the soda fountain and set it in front of the blonde. She then, very carefully, with all her concentration and might, poured the mayor her glass of water, "You know what you want to eat?"

Regina looked to Emma and nodded at her questioning glance, "I want the chicken tenders tonight, Rubes with the white gravy and mashed potatoes and rolls and oh! Can I get some of that cinnamon butter for the rolls?"

"Yeah, of course!" Ruby was now wrapping her head around what was going on and quickly getting back to herself, "And for you madam Mayor?"

"That actually sounds quite good can I get the same?" She turned back to Ruby.

Ruby only raised a brow and nodded, "Madam Mayor…" She said in a surprised tone, "I guess Emma's made you work up an appetite." She grinned at the mayor's blush and turned around, put their orders in and walked away to go handle everyone else.

She saw Mary Margaret sitting with Leroy, "Oh my God M&M, you're going to die!" She said as she sat down for a second next to Leroy.

"Hey, watch where you're sitting, sister." He said as he scooted in more.

"The deputy and the mayor are totally on a date right now."

Mary Margaret knit her brows, "What?"

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded enthusiastically, "They're holding hands and when I asked what project they were working on Emma said there wasn't a project… and she kissed the mayor's hand, awwe…" Ruby grinned and looked back over to Mary Margaret.

"She kissed Regina's hand?" Kathryn asked from behind Ruby.

Ruby turned around, "Yeah, I saw it happen… I was staring… there's no way that's not what I saw." Ruby smiled, then saw who Kathryn was eating with, "Hi, I'm Ruby."

"Fred." He smiled.

Ruby gave Kathryn a look, "Good going Kathryn! Way to get back on that saddle." She grinned and looked back at Emma and Regina, "Oh my God, how cute!" She pointed.

Everyone within hearing distance, looked over to see Emma tuck an errant strand of hair behind Regina's ear and cup her cheek for a moment, brushing her thumb over her cheek before giving a goofy grin and turning to take a sip of her soda.

Ashley and Sean both turned around, "When did that happen?" The blonde woman asked.

Ruby shrugged, "They've had to been going at it in secret for a while… I mean… Regina would not act like that on a first date… She's too classy… that's definitely 'we've been together a while' mannerisms…"

Ashley looked to Mary Margaret, "Do you know?"

"Well…" She shook her head and shrugged, "No… Emma's always been in and out of our apartment, she usually says work, but I can't think of a time that any behavior changed…"

"Are you sure you're not distracted by my husband?" Kathryn asked.

"Kathryn!" Ruby gave the blonde a surprised look.

Kathryn put her hand up, "I'm sorry, that was bitchy…" She looked over to Mary Margaret.

The pixie-cut woman only shrugged and nodded, "It's well deserved."

They had formed an odd friendship. Mary Margaret let Kathryn be bitchy to her to an extent, but that was only after the other woman began confiding in her, and now they had this odd pseudo-friendship thing that was unexplainable.

The pixie-cut woman moved the conversation along, "You're friends with Regina, has she ever said anything?"

Kathryn shook her head, "Of course not… Why would Regina get personal about something? She's a very guarded person… But she has told me that she's been almost happy for the past few months… I want to say four at least…"

Ruby knit her brows, "What happened four months ago?"

Mary Margaret gasped, "The mines! Henry…"

Everyone now was jaw-dropped and turned back to see both Emma and Regina move in and press their foreheads together and Eskimo kiss. The bell to the diner door rang, and they quickly pulled apart and faced forward, away from everyone.

"Nooowah!" Ruby bit her lip and glared to see whoever was walking in, but couldn't seeing that it was her beau followed by Mary Margaret's, "Why did you have to come in now, Sheriff?"

"I'm sorry…?" He asked as she leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Your deputy is about to get some and the bell ruined it!" Ruby stood, trading places with Graham.

David came and sat next to Mary Margaret, "What's going on?" he asked her.

"Emma and the mayor are on a date. We've decided that they've been together for a while now."

"Really?" David looked to the new couple, "How long."

"Four months if Kathryn's calculations are right." Leroy was only too happy to let David know that his ex-wife was in the booth next to them.

David looked to Kathryn, "Hi Kathryn."

Kathryn smiled kindly, with a bit of sadness, "Hello, David." She turned back to staring at the deputy and mayor.

Ruby gave Graham a kiss before she left, "I'm gonna go check on them… see what I can dig up!"

She saw Granny through the window and asked how much longer until Emma and Regina's food will be only to have it placed before her, "Wow, thanks Gran." She smiled.

Gran only nodded, "What have you found out, girl?" She asked quietly through the window.

"We're almost all positive it's not their first date… I'm about to ask and see if they give me anything…"

Gran only smirked and nodded as she put the little tubs of cinnamon butter on both plates.

Ruby walked over and set their food down in front of them, "Refills?"

"Please." They both said.

Ruby got them and set their cups back down then leaned over the counter, "So tell me… this isn't the first date is it?"

Emma laughed, "It's the first date."

Ruby stood up straight, "But…" She looked between them, "You seem very…. Not first datey…"

Regina folded her hands and looked at the waitress, "We've been together for a while, but this is our first date… I was not ready to go public, but now that I am… dating is going to happen."

"Dating, changes of address…" Emma shrugged and Regina turned and glared at her.

"You don't need to give away the farm, dear."

"Well… sometimes people gossip and I always hate it when gossip is wrong…" She grinned and leaned in to kiss Regina's cheek, "B'sides, it's not like they're not going to know via Mary Margaret when I move out of the apartment…"

Regina only turned to face the front once more and Emma laughed.

Ruby's brows were through the roof, "You ladies need anything else?"

"No dear… run along and tell everyone else." Regina glanced up at the waitress.

"Thank you!" Ruby ran over to everyone else. "You guys are NOT going to believe this! I think you're gonna need to sit down." Everyone looked at each other to see everyone else sitting, "Okay, I think I'm gonna need to sit down…" She pulled out the chair next to Ashley and sat down to tell them all everything she'd just heard.

Emma and Regina continued on with their meals and went back to the mansion to find a sleeping son in front of _The Amazing Spiderman_. Emma heaved him up as Regina turned everything off. "Sometimes I think he's too good for his own good."

"Well that makes one person in this gossipy town." Regina raised a brow.

"Regina… they gossip because they care."


End file.
